Total pages in book: 183
Estimated words: 174715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 874(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 174715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 874(@200wpm)___ 699(@250wpm)___ 582(@300wpm)
It’s our turn in line and Lori and I step to the counter. We leave with two side-by-side rooms assigned, and I don’t ask for the adjoining doors I want. “We’re being watched,” I warn Lori.
“I feel it,” she says, “but I thought it was paranoia.”
“It’s not,” I say punching the elevator call button. “Elevators are recorded,” I add.
The car opens, and we step inside. The bellman catches up with us, promising to meet us on our floor. He arrives at the eighth floor with us. Once we’re there, he helps Lori with her bags first and she disappears inside her room. I deal with him, and my bags, tip him, and then wait until he’s gone to dial Royce. “Walk me through checking for cameras and bugs.”
“What room?”
“Two rooms.” I give him the numbers.
“I’ll send someone to check them out when you’re gone, but for now do this. No internet in your room. Stay off it and that includes your phone. Unplug everything. Obviously look for wires and visible signs of a bug or camera. Hold private conversations outside, not inside. Any common area could be bugged.” He has me download several apps to use in the rooms to aid my efforts. By the time we’re done, I’m cursing.
“Fuck,” I murmur. “I should have had the sense to grab a private rental.”
“One of my men there in LA will have a spare room if you want it.”
I think of Lori's comfort and rule that out. “I need to be here with my client,” I say, “but thanks, man.” We disconnect, and I walk to Lori’s door and knock.
She opens the door already in her bare feet, her toes painted pink. I grab her and pull her close, whispering in her ear, “Walker is going to check our rooms for bugs when we’re gone. For now, I’m going to do what I can.” I lean back, and her eyes are wide, but she nods and backs into the room.
I start my sweep using the apps I’ve been assigned, and Lori follows me, checking behind me. We come up empty, which isn’t much of a relief since we don’t know what the fuck we’re doing. There are no cameras though, at least not in the bathroom. Of that I’m certain. I even checked the shower head.
I glance at my watch. “It’s seven,” I say. “Let’s meet up in an hour to talk through the case before our nine o’clock with Tara.”
“Sounds good,” Lori says, and for reasons I cannot explain, her pink painted toenails are distracting me and I now have a hard on. Fuck, what is it about this woman that her damn pink toes can turn me on?
I motion to the bathroom where I know we’re clear, and we step inside, but for safe measure, I pull her close, my hands on her hips, and I speak near her ear. “Undress and redress in here. Nowhere else.”
“Do you really think we’re being bugged?”
I pull back to look at her. “If they’re watching us, they could be listening to us.” I press my cheek to hers again, my hand sliding up her back to settle between her shoulder blades. “And just so you know,” I say softly, “every moment that you catch me looking at you, I’m thinking about touching you. Most likely, I’m thinking of you lying across my lap, your pretty, naked ass in the air, and how much I want to spank you again.”
She sucks in a breath that I catch with a kiss, before I say, “I’ll see you in an hour,” and exit the bathroom and then the room. I hate fucking leaving her in that room alone. I enter mine, clear the room as I had hers, and then walk to the end of the hallway and call Ashley.
“How are things, boss?”
“Interesting,” I say. “What’s your exact ETA?”
“It could be three weeks. I have to deal with personal matters, but I can manage a part-time load.”
“I won’t argue. As you know, I’m mentoring Lori Havens, a Stanford law student, who I plan to bring on full time with the firm. Call Stanford and find out how the hell I can get Lori her degree in no more than six months.”
“All right. What do I need to know about her?”
“Nothing you don’t ask her yourself when you get your ass back to work, outside of how to get her through law school in six months.”
“Interesting,” she says. “I can’t wait to meet Lori Havens.” I can hear the damn smile on her face. I hang up and walk past Lori’s room to get to mine and I do so with a vow: Six months from now, we will not be hiding. She will have her degree, she will see herself as the equal I already know her to be, and the world will know that she is mine.